Jingle All The Way
by ninajunkie
Summary: Draco Malfoy wonders how he will spend his upcoming Christmas, however, someone else has already made plans.


I wrote this for a challenge at a specific fan fiction website, but apparently they didn't like my word usage in the story so it was unfortunately rejected. They also thought that it was not beta read when in fact I actually had two people read it before I submitted it. I have been completely clueless to the fact that sentences have to be written an exact way for fan fiction to be submitted these days... However, I am posting this anyway. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!**  
**

**Jingle All The Way**

Less than one week was left until Christmas and Draco Malfoy was not all too happy with the setting. Snow hadn't been spotted yet this season nor was it in the predictions posted in the _Daily Prophet_. This caused his mind to wonder if they would even see any at all before Spring would begin to poke it's head around the corner.

The past year was special and he had been hoping to make the holidays the same. Unfortunately to make his plans happen, he needed the snow to make an appearance.

Following his one year sentence in Azkaban Prison, Draco was forced to participate in services to the Wizarding World for two years. His first spot at the parchment sorting department at the Ministry of Magic hadn't even lasted a week. Witches and wizards cried out and made it known that they thought it was complete blasphemy that a _former Death Eater_ was working in the centre of all British Wizarding information.

He had then been transferred to work with the up-keeping of Hogsmeade. Patrons of the inns and stores had made remarks of his proximity to Hogwarts. Despite Headmistress McGonagall's insistence that there was no danger, he had been made to leave after a mere two weeks.

No one seemed to understand that he had been pardoned of all Death Eater associations after extensive testimonies made by none other than Harry Potter. He had been in Azkaban for the personal handlings he had to do with the death of Hogwarts' former headmaster, Albus Dumbledore.

Even though he made it through the trials with the bare minimum, no one had cared to hear or understand his story. He had been so close to letting the Wizengamot make him finish another year at Azkaban.

That was until he finally found a stable place to do his services: _Flourish and Blotts_ in Diagon Alley.

Not only had the owners at the time accept him willingly, they had actually told off customers who had complained about him. After his two years of service had been up and his name cleared completely through the legal system, he had gladly accepted a full paying job there.

That had been nearly seven months before and now he was being paid to actually decorate the Christmas tree inside _Flourish and Blotts_.

It was after open store hours and he had promised to have the tree completed once last weekend before Christmas started, which would be in a few minutes time.

He had just placed the glowing star atop the point of the tree when he heard a faint noise in the background.

'_Odd,'_ he thought, because he was supposed to be the only one in the store.

Carefully setting his wand down on the checkout counter by the tree, Draco forced his ears to listen harder for the sound. Surely no one still had a vendetta against him from those years ago. Everything lately had been quiet with him living his life sans interruptions or threats from others.

Suddenly, he heard the noise again, coming from the back of the store. It was a medium pitched note, reminiscent of something, but Draco couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Being curious—something he hadn't followed his instincts on before—Draco moved to the back of _Flourish and Blotts _in search of what would be causing the interesting noise. Before he made it even half way, he heard it again, this time two quick notes in succession. It sounded as though there were bells.

He had never been inside the store this late before and wondered if it could possibly be coming from an enchanted book. However, all the holiday books were at the front of the store and he swore on Bott's beans that he was getting closer to the sound.

Curiosity growing exponentially, he continued on to the back of the store, reaching where the back door would lead to the back office where he had spent many days doing the number crunching for the store.

As soon as he placed his hand on the doorknob, he heard another note, this time being a tad bit lower than the first one he had distinguished just moments before. It sounded fainter than the other ones, coming from behind the door.

He swiftly opened it, hoping to catch whoever or whatever was making the noise.

Once he was in the office, the back door that led to the alleyway behind the store was wide open, letting in a cold breeze. Despite being freezing because he had left his cloak inside with the rest of his stuff, Draco stepped out into the alleyway.

Unfortunately, no one was in sight and probably long gone. Staying for a minute outside, he hoped to hear some of the bell's notes again, but nothing came.

Slightly bemused by the situation, he went back into the store through the office, locking all the doors behind him and making a mental note to place the magical charms once he had his wand again. He admired his great work of art—worthy enough to be painted and framed in a famous art museum—and finally left for the night.

The first day of the holiday weekend greeted Draco late in the morning as he was walking into _Flourish and Blotts_. He had a large cup of coffee in his hand and a rolled up _Daily Prophet_ tucked under his arm—both which he had picked up from the new cafe a few storefronts down.

Even with the daylight shining in through the windows, the Christmas tree that he had decorated shone like the brightest star, greeting him.

"Wonderful job, Draco!" he heard a voice greet him. Even though he couldn't see the owner of the voice, Draco knew exactly where it was coming from: behind the large stack of towering books on the counter from the new shipment that had arrived just a few hours ago. Draco knew also exactly who had said it.

"Thanks, Granger," he replied, more enthusiasm displayed through his voice than what would have been there a few years back. He set his coffee cup and newspaper on the counter and unravelled the scarf from around his neck, walking around the extended counter to hang it up on the peg. "I hope it lives up to your high standards." He shrugged his coat off, hanging it up as well.

"I believe that both Mr. Flourish and Mrs. Blotts would have been very satisfied," she replied, still only having her voice being heard and none of her physical body in sight. Hermione finally poked her head around the corner of a stack of dark-green bound books, her eyebrows raised and a small smile on her lips in approval. "But, yes, it certainly does."

Her sneaky self disappeared behind the stack again.

"How do you know Flourish was male and Blotts was female?" he asked, taking a sip of his coffee, waving his wand to separate the piles.

"Do you need to ask?" Her voice was laced with fake annoyance, but playfulness very evident.

"The almighty Hermione Granger has a brain that mimics a deep sea sponge. I'm such a dunderhead for even bringing it up." He had been merely joking, and he knew that she knew that.

Draco had finally separated the book stacks low enough that he could finally see her face. He felt a glow radiating within his chest the instant he saw her warm brown eyes and teasingly, smiling lips. He couldn't help but to stare at those lips as she answered him.

"No, of course not!" She rolled her eyes at him light-heartedly.

A customer came up to the counter, ready to check out with a heap of books in his hands. Before Hermione could get to the customer, Draco made it around the length of the counter and beat her to it. She hit him lightly on the arm, mocking frustration at his actions.

Hermione leaned over the counter and rested her elbow against the surface, cupping her chin into the palm of her hand. "What are your holiday plans?"

"Not much of anything," he answered, finishing up with the customer. The bit of happiness that had been on his features dulled down and Hermione thankfully changed the subject.

"Do you want to help me put all these new books away?" She batted her eyelashes at him lightly. However, it was completely unnecessary because Draco would have done anything she had asked, even if she had been yelling at him.

The rest of the day went by in such agonizing, slow torture. Draco had caught himself staring at Hermione more than half the time. If she had been facing him, his eyes would be on her lips and if she had been turned away, they would be trained on the small of her back.

Since Hermione had opened up the bookstore that morning, Draco was going to close it down for the night. Unfortunately, they were currently the only two employees, Hermione being the new manager since the beginning of the summer. Draco would have to talk to her about hiring someone else to help out.

Draco had just finished up counting all the transactions and storing everything away when he was putting on his cloak to leave for the night. Suddenly he heard the same sound from the night before. He instantly recognized it as the same medium pitched note. He finished sliding his cloak on and wrapped his scarf quickly around his neck and followed the sound quicker than he had previously.

Upon arriving to the back door to the office, he heard the exact same second and third note, in quick succession of one another. Determined to catch the maker of the bell noise before it ran off this time, Draco quickly opened the office door and raced to the other door, leading him into the alleyway.

He saw absolutely nothing in sight.

'_I'm going completely mad,'_ he thought to himself, looking each and every way to confirm the absence.

Suddenly, he heard the fourth note, clear as a shiny silver bell right in front of his face. It was just a tad bit lower in sound than the first one he heard, exactly like the previous night. The only problem was that there still existed nothing around him. He was hearing noises but there were no objects creating the noise.

Fed up and confused, he walked back into the office, locking the door behind him and then locking the other door to the office. With a wave of his wand, the inside of _Flourish and Blotts_ became dark as night, besides the glowing Christmas tree. Draco walked outside of the store, shut the door behind him, and turned around to lock the store up once and for all that night.

Right before he let his hand go from the doorknob, he heard it again. The sound came from right behind his head. All four notes were strung together in succession, playing a beautiful four-note melody.

Without a second thought to it, he whipped around, ready to face the fact that he was insane because surely nothing would be there.

Instead, he was baffled to become face to face with Hermione Granger.

Draco was about to say a foul word because he had been scared shitless, but there was no way he would admit that to her. Especially now. She had the most amazing smile on her face, her hair becoming a halo around her head as she stood in the most perfect spot. The fairy lights dancing around them in Diagon Alley made her look like an angel.

"I thought you had gone home," he said stupidly. He wasn't quite sure what else to say in that moment.

"I did," she replied to him, that large grin still evident.

"Did you forget something?" He awkwardly reached his hand to his neck, scratching at an invisible itch because he was very unsure what to do at that moment.

"Yes. I did."

She grabbed his other hand by his side into hers, and laced her fingers in between his. He was suddenly so thankful that he hadn't put on his mittens yet; her hand provided more warmth than they ever could have. Then, she leaned into him, on her tiptoes, and planted those wonderful lips of hers onto his.

When they parted, he sighed in contentment.

'_Finally,'_ he thought.

"I wanted to make sure my boyfriend doesn't spend the holidays on his own," she said, another huge grin on her beautiful face. She turned around, grabbing his hand with her other one so they could walk side by side. "I know it's a bit late, but let's grab some coffee. I know a great cafe someone showed me once."

Draco chuckled, knowing full well that he had been the one to get her addicted to that new place.

Before they walked in to order their drinks, he had to ask her one more question.

"Were you the one playing those bells?"

"I figured you could use more holiday cheer." She gave his hand a squeeze.

"The gesture was lovely, but next time play the entire song," he said proudly. "Just the first four notes of _Carol of the Bells_ wouldn't even put a mouse in the Christmas spirit!"

All he received was another slap on the arm, almost spilling the coffee he had just been handed. Then they enjoyed the rest of their night listening to silver bells and watching dancing fairy lights.


End file.
